The hiring world has been arguing about this for years:
Should you hire for culture fit or culture add?
Here’s the real answer:
Yes.
You need both.
Culture Fit Isn’t About “People Like Us”
When done wrong, “culture fit” becomes code for:
- “People who talk like us”
- “People who think like us”
- “People we’d grab a beer with”
That’s not culture fit.
That’s how companies accidentally build echo chambers.
Real culture fit means hiring people who align with your values, not your hobbies.
Culture Add Brings What You’re Missing
Culture add is about intentionally bringing in people who expand your team’s:
- Skill sets
- Perspectives
- Problem-solving styles
- Lived experiences
- Ideas
You’re not cloning your team, you’re evolving it.
Why the Best Teams Blend Both
Culture fit gives you cohesion.
Culture add gives you innovation.
One without the other turns into:
- Fit-only → Groupthink
- Add-only → Chaos
Together, they create teams that are aligned and forward-thinking.
How to Hire for Both
1. Define your values clearly
If you can’t name your top 3, your candidates can’t align with them.
2. Identify your gaps
Where is your team stuck?
Where do you need new energy or experience?
3. Build interview questions that uncover both
Example:
- Fit: “Tell me about a work environment where you did your best work.”
- Add: “What’s something you see differently than most people in your field?”
4. Make decisions based on impact, not comfort
Sometimes the candidate who challenges your thinking is exactly the one you need.
Hiring shouldn’t feel like cloning or chaos.
When you balance culture fit and culture add, you build teams that can perform today and grow tomorrow.